Paparazzo killed while taking photos of Bieber's car

By
Jo Casamento

A paparazzi photographer has been killed in Los Angeles on New Year's Day while attempting to take pictures of a Ferrari belonging to Justin Bieber.

A paparazzi photographer has been killed in Los Angeles on New Year's Day while attempting to take pictures of a Ferrari belonging to Justin Bieber.

The unidentified photographer was fatally struck when he stepped out of his own car to take pictures of Bieber's vehicle. He was struck by a passing vehicle on Sepulveda Boulevard, near The Getty Centre.

LA police officer James Stoughton told media the photographer died at a hospital shortly after the crash. He also said no charges would be filed against the motorist who hit the man.

According to online reports, the singer's white Ferrari had been stopped by police on Tuesday evening during a routine traffic stop. Bieber was not in the car at the time of the accident and his reps have not yet made a statement.

According to TMZ website the teen idol had loaned the car to two friends - who were pulled over by a California Highway Patrol officer for speeding.

The snapper was said to be following the Ferrari prior to it being pulled over by police. He crossed the freeway to get pictures of the traffic stop and was hit while he attempted to cross back to his own car.

In the last year, Bieber has been chased on several occasions by photographers - sparking an anti-paparazzi debate in the US.

"It's a dangerous situation," one local paparazzo in Sydney told Fairfax Media. "It's a risky profession and, I'm very sad to say it, but it's easy to see how it happened."

Beiber has since released a statement relayed to several US showbiz websites, calling for tougher paparazzi laws.

"While I was not present nor directly involved with this tragic accident, my thoughts and prayers are with the family of the victim," said Bieber.

"Hopefully this tragedy will finally inspire meaningful legislation and whatever other necessary steps to protect the lives and safety of celebrities, police officers, innocent public bystanders, and the photographers themselves," he added.

Los Angeles photographer Thibault Mauvilain told reporters at the scene that the fatality was a friend named Chris who was a photographer but "not a paparazzo - he was just another kid from New Mexico".